SADA WILLIAMS finished second in her heat and advanced to the final of the women’s 400 metres earlier today at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Williams clocked 53.79 seconds while Zola Golden of the United States won that heat in 53.70 seconds. The day’s fastest qualifier was Canada’s Kendra Clarke who clocked 53.09 seconds. Jamaica’s Dawnalee Loney also advanced to the final after clocking 54.23 seconds.
Jamal Walton of the Cayman Islands was the fastest qualifier in the men’s 400 metres after he won heat two in 46.89 seconds. Also qualifying for that final were Jamaicans Ivan Henry (47.50) and Renardo Wilson (47.66) and Bahamian Henri Delauze (47.88).
Tristan Evelyn advanced to the finals in the women’s 100 metres after she won the second heat in a wind-aided 11.47 seconds. The final was scheduled to run off last night with the United States’ Aleia Hobbs advancing with the fastest qualifying time of 11.37 seconds while Jamaica’s Jonielle Smith was second fastest with 11.38 seconds.
Other Caribbean athletes advancing to the final were Khalifa St. Fort of Trinidad and Tobago who clocked 11.39 seconds and Sashalee Forbes of Jamaica who clocked 11.50 seconds.
The news was not so good for Barbados’ medal hopeful Mario Burke who pulled up in his heat in the men’s 100 metres. Burke was in lane six of the second heat and was sporting a heavily bandaged right thigh. He got out of the blocks quickly but pulled up limping badly just 15 metres down the track.
The United States’ Noah Lyles won that heat with the day’s fastest time of 10.07 seconds with a 4.3 tailwind. Two Jamaican’s Shivnarine Smalling (10.26) and Xandre Blake (10.31) advanced to the final.
